As seen
online April 11, 2020, at www (dot) lagrandemovies (dot) com
1927 La Grande Theatres was founded by Francis A Greulich
1928 Acquired Granada Theatre
1952 Granada Theatre had a major renovation
1953 Purchased La Grande Drive-In
1972 Granada completely renovated and converted to a 2
screen multiplex
1994 Granada completely renovated and converted to a 3
screen multiplex
2010 Granada installed new rocker luxury seats
2011 Granada - deployed new all digital Christie
projectors, new Dolby 750 Surround Sound and Dolby 3D. All film projection
equipment was replaced.
2013 La Grande Drive-In update to Christie Digital
Projection and new audio.
…………...
LIBERTY THEATRE TIMELINE
Observer, Feb 17, 2010
November 1910 - the building
that would later become the Liberty Theatre opens as the Orpheum
Theater. S.A. Gardinier and his wife Madeline are the owners. The
Gardiniers had purchased the theater property earlier and then
built the Orpheum.
The Gardiniers already owned
La Grande's Scenic Theater. The Scenic, which opened in
1902, may have been La Grande's first film theater. Four other
theaters opened in La Grande between 1902 and
November 1910, The Dime, The
Electric, The Isis, The Pastime and The Lyric. The Isis later became Sherry's, The Colonial, and then The State Theater, according to La Grande historian and
author Bob Bull.
1911 - The Orpheum Theater
is renamed The Arcade Theater.
1930 - The Arcade is closed
after being purchased by Inland Theaters Inc. Following extensive remodeling
the movie show house opens on Oct. 3, 1930, as The Liberty Theatre. "So
This Is London,'' starring Will Rogers, was the first movie shown in the Liberty,
according an October 1930 edition of The Observer. Admission to the film was 50
cents for adults and a dime for youths.
Prior to film showings and
during intermissions, spectators were treated to music played on the theater's
Robert Merton pipe organ. Isabel Miller was the Liberty's first organ player.
January 1931 - The "Big
Trail,'' the first motion picture in which John Wayne had a starring role, is
shown at The Liberty. The film was a lavish production about the Oregon Trail.
The Liberty offers free passes to everyone who signed a form certifying they
came to the state on the Oregon Trail. Thirty-six people, all from Union
County, received free coupons. They had arrived in the state between 1863 and
1897.
February 1952 - the Granada
reopens after extensive remodeling. The "new '' Granada ended the
Liberty's reign as La Grande's best theater, according to a National Register
of Historic Places application submitted to the U.S. Park Service.
The Granada was considered
one of the largest and most modern theaters in Eastern Oregon. Its features
included 800 staggered seats, cry rooms for babies and advanced camera and
light systems.
1959 - The Liberty quietly
closes. It was open for a portion of 1959 before shutting down
.
1962 - The first floor of
the old theater is remodeled to house retail establishments.
:::::::
NORTHEAST OREGON HISTORY: LA GRANDE DRIVE-IN
By Dick Mason, Observer, Aug 7, 2018
Q: How long has the La
Grande Drive-In theater been in operation?
A: 67 years.
The evening of May 10, 1951,
was the first time La Grande residents could enjoy performances of Hollywood
stars under the stars.
That is the night the La
Grande Drive-In theater opened with showings of “Tarzan’s Peril” starring Lex
Barker and Virginia Houston and “Beaver Valley,” a film about North American
wildlife.
“See your favorite stars and
pictures this way, in the privacy and comfort of your own cars. It’s a new
thrill,” read an ad for the La Grande Drive-In in the May 9, 1951, Evening
Observer.
Admission on opening night
was 60 cents for adults and nine cents for children younger than 12.
In 1951, the drive-in had a
capacity of 416 cars and speakers were provided for each one, according to The
Observer’s archives.
Moviegoers were encouraged
by the theater’s owners to dress casually.
“Come as you are and relax
in your car,” stated one of the drive-in’s advertisements.
Movies shown after the
drive-in’s opening weekend in 1951 included two starring future president
Ronald Reagan — “Bedtime for Bonzo” and “Louisa.” A film of a boxing match
between featherweight world champion Sandy Saddler and challenger Willie Pep
was also shown at the drive-in that year.
The new drive-in was then
competing against three indoor theaters in La Grande: the Granada, State and
Liberty theaters. It is not known how well the drive-in did its first year, but
it appears to have fared well for it continued operating through Nov. 13 when
it concluded its season with showings of “When Willie Comes Marching Home”
starring Dan Daily and “Dark City” starring Charlton Heston.
Cold weather was expected
the concluding night of the 1951 season, according to the Evening Observer,
which published a forecast calling for a low in the high 20s for Nov. 13. This
must have been why the drive-in theater provided or paid for a free gallon of
gas to the driver of each vehicle coming to the final showing of the season.
The purpose of the gasoline was to allow moviegoers to run their vehicles
during the Nov. 13 showing to keep from getting chilled.
“Keep warm at our expense,”
read a Nov. 10, 1951, La Grande Drive-In ad in the Evening Observer.
The La Grande Drive-In
opened at a time when the popularity of outdoor movies was beginning to gain
momentum. By the late 1950s, there were approximately 4,000 drive-in theaters
in the United States, according to www.DriveinMovies.com.
Today there are about 325
drive-in cinemas in the United States. This total includes just three in
Oregon, a far cry from the 1950s when the state had about 70. Today, outside of
La Grande, the only places one can find an operating drive-in theater in the
state are Milton-Freewater and Newberg.
DriveinMovies.com states
that Washington has five drive-in theaters and Idaho has six. Washington’s are
in Bremerton, Colville, Oak Harbor, Port Townsend and Shelton. Idaho’s are in
Caldwell, Driggs, Grangeville, Parma, Rexburg and Soda Springs.
The three primary reasons
drive-in theaters are few and far between today are Daylight Saving Time,
rising land prices and the availability of movies via rental and other means,
according to www.DriveInMovies.com.
Daylight Saving Time, which
took effect in much of the United States in 1966, meant sunset came an hour
later during the busiest time of the year for drive-in theaters. In many parts
of the country, during Daylight Saving Time, drive-ins were not able to start
their first movie until 10 p.m. Rising land prices have been a factor because
owners of drive-ins can make more money by selling their land to developers than
operating an outdoor theater.
None of these factors have
stopped the La Grande Drive-In, which remains a popular gathering place for
moviegoers based on the long lines of vehicles waiting to get in before many
shows.
The La Grande Drive-In,
which now has 300 spaces for vehicles and uses a short -range FM radio system
to broadcast the sound of movies to cars instead of speakers, is open Friday,
Saturday and Sunday nights in the spring and summer. It opens annually in April
or May and operates through early September.
..................
LIGHT 'ER UP:
LIBERTY SIGN SET FOR OFFICIAL LIGHTING THURSDAY
By Kelly Ducote, Observer, Dec 28, 2015
Some remember watching
Elizabeth Taylor star in her breakout film "National Velvet," or the
epic "Ten Commandments" starring Charlton Heston.
Others remember the balcony.
Specifically, they remember knowing not to sit just underneath the edge, where
popcorn and other falling objects were bound to land.
And still others remember
their first jobs at the Liberty Theatre, as usherettes and janitors.
"The Liberty Theatre
had an air of luxury to it. More posh like," recalled Marianne Feik
Fullmer, who worked at the Liberty and Granada theaters in the early 1950s.
At the Liberty, she seated
patrons who came in after the lights went out.
"I also would have to
keep an eye on people who put their feet on the back of the seat in front of
them," she said.
Though the Liberty is
remembered for that "air of luxury," there was always a team of
janitors behind the scenes.
Stan Steffen was one of
those janitors, who with Marvin Hill had a contract to clean the theater in the
early 1940s, during the war.
Steffen recalls vigilant
work at the theater, where it seemed the women's bathroom and usherette
dressing room were a constant work in progress.
"It's like they had a
compulsion in damage," Steffen said. "The floor was always littered
with their street clothes."
As a patron, Steffen spent a
lot of time at the theater, eventually befriending the projectionist who
provided him with fly-fishing tips and a glimpse into making movies run on the
big screen.
"He let me do certain
simple functions myself," Steffen said. "For me, the highlight of the
whole thing was the projection room."
Norma Goodwin Flanagan said
she sold the last ticket at the theater, where she worked in high school.
"I had a lot of friends
that worked there," she said. "We had a lot of fun there."
By all accounts, the theater
was a lively place, where teens popped their popcorn bags and, after management
put popcorn in boxes, turned their popcorn boxes into Frisbees.
For others, it was an escape
from the daily grind.
"My husband loved
movies, and he was a lawyer," recalled Gerda Brownton. "It he wanted
relief from the bad things he heard during the day, we went to the
movies."
But for more than five
decades, the theater has been dark, its former glory masked by a series of
retail establishments in the building.
That changes on Thursday, as
the Liberty Theatre Foundation, the nonprofit group paving the way for the
theater's total restoration, plans to light up the Liberty's blade sign, a
replica of one of the theater's historic signs.
"I'm so excited to see
the historic blade sign illuminate downtown La Grande once again," said
Brent Smith, Liberty Theatre Foundation board member.
All are invited to the sign
lighting event, set to begin at 2 p.m. Thursday at Joe Beans, across Adams
Avenue from the theater. From 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., those involved with the
Liberty Theatre Foundation will share information on the restoration effort and
memories of the Liberty, along with music, refreshments and displays of Liberty
memorabilia. Tours of the theater will be available.
At about 4:30 p.m., the
blade sign will light up downtown once more.
"The lighting of the
sign is a symbol of the life of the Liberty. It has been dark for years, but
this week we show the community that new life is coming in," Smith said.
"The theater will be a great way to draw people downtown, and it will
really become 'La Grande's living room.'"
:::::::::::::::
GRANADA THEATER MOVES TO DIGITAL AND 3D
TECHNOLOGY
Observer, April 27, 2011
Three new digital projectors will allow customers to
experience movies in high-def Dolby Digital, Surround Sound, and some films in
Dolby 3D
Sometimes it takes longer
than others, but progress usually does catch up with La Grande and Union
County. This week, improvements at the Granada Theater propel local movie
entertainment into the 21st Century.
After months of planning and
significant capital outlay, three new digital projectors - one for each of the
Granada's three auditoriums - are going on line. They replace the 35 millimeter
machines that have been shining movies onto Granada screens for decades.
From now on, Granada
customers will experience all movies in high-definition Dolby Digital and
Surround Sound, and select films in Dolby 3D.
For a small community always
hungering after modern conveniences, it's no doubt a welcome change. Movie
purists seeking those high-resolution thrills need not travel long distances to
find them.
"This is something the
community has often asked for," said Granada Manager Edna Henderson.
"I believe people are going to like it, not only people from Union County
but from surrounding areas as well."
The Granada, at 1311 Adams
Ave., has been a property of the Greulich family since 1929. Francis Greulich,
who also owned the State Theater on Adams Avenue, was the founder.
The State went defunct long
ago, but the family kept right on in the entertainment business. Today the
Granada is owned by three of Francis's grandsons - Mark, Charles and John.
The three Gruelichs grew up
in La Grande. Though they no longer live here, Henderson said they continue to
take an active interest in the community and the theater, and want nothing but
the best for their customers.
"They've kept up with
the technology and it's their desire to provide La Grande with the best
entertainment possible," she said.
In the 1970s, the owners
remodeled the Granada to accommodate two auditoriums. The building became a
triplex in the 1990s. Just recently, new seats were installed throughout the
complex.
Like those improvements, the
current move to digital and 3D technology is a major undertaking and represents
a big leap forward, Henderson said.
"It's been months in
the planning, and it's going to cost in the hundreds of thousands of
dollars," she said.
By late last week, the three
projectors had arrived and were awaiting installation by a crew from
Portland-based American Cinema Equipment. Two of the theater screens are being
replaced as well. The third is 3D capable already.
Work began Tuesday and will
continue at a feverish pace throughout the week. When it's done, all three
auditoriums will be Dolby-ready.
"Having all three
theaters digital and 3D-capable makes us unique," Henderson said.
Another task to be completed
this week is the unpacking of some 1,500 pair of specially-made glasses
essential to 3D viewing.
The glasses, available for
now only in an adult size, will be handed out prior to movies and collected
afterwards. With a machine made specially for the purpose, they'll be
sterilized after each use.
Henderson said the glasses
won't work with other 3D applications, nor will glasses made for other
applications work with Dolby.
"Our glasses won't work
with other technologies and they won't work with 3D television," Henderson
said. "They're unique to the theater and the equipment that's being
used."
Henderson said admission
prices for 2D movies will remain the same for now, though 3D movies will cost
$2 more. Later, she said, moviegoers will see an increase in all ticket prices.
"Rio,'' an animated
feature playing at the Granada this week, is a 3D film. After the first
projector was mounted Tuesday, "Rio'' became the first movie in Granada
history to be shown in Dolby 3D.
Of course, not every movie
on the market is made in 3D. The next one to show at the Granada is "Thor,''
opening May 6.
The Granada will remain open
throughout the entire changeover this week. For Henderson and all the Granada
crew, it's a hectic time.
But an exciting one, too.
"I'm proud to be a part
of this," Henderson said.
:::::
BACK TO THE FUTURE IN A TOUR OF LIBERTY THEATRE
By Dorothy Swart Fleshman, Observer, Feb 19, 2010
Last Saturday I went Back to the Future. What a
trip it was! Based on last Friday's column, I was invited by Dale Mammen to
tour the old Liberty Theatre with a group of interested others. How could I
refuse?
It isn't the tour I want to tell you about. It is
my reactions to what I saw and how my mind tried to put it back together as I
remembered it.
Touring the old Liberty Theatre site was a
heart-rending visit to the past while standing amidst the rubble of what it has
become and trying to envision the beauty that had been torn asunder. In years
gone by, it had been almost like entering a cathedral, for voices were muffled
and deep carpets absorbed the patron noises.
What did you see, you ask? I'll try to find the
words.
We met in the empty room west of Domino's Pizza
for orientation. To help orient you, the ticket booth would have been in the
area of Domino's front door entrance, so we were where you would have entered
the theatre proper, set back from Adams Avenue's sidewalk. I stand to be
corrected on any of these explanations, for you had to have a map for accuracy.
At least it can be used in generalities.
We walked down the open space to the back of the
building, down a flight of steps ... and there we were. With flashlights and
floodlights, we threaded our way through the debris maze seeing bits of things
that I recognized until we climbed a short flight of carpeted stairs to find
ourselves in the second floor mezzanine of "the office." This is
where we began seeing everything through different eras of remodeling - 1910,
1959 and the reality of the present.
Yes, there's the office and the restrooms, they
were saying. No, there was no office there, I disagreed. Even the wall may not
have been there. Restrooms, yes, but the part marked off now as office space
had been a lovely lounge with a davenport, easy chairs, carpeting on the floor
and drapes at the windows, mirrors on the wall where young women could primp
like the elegant ladies they dreamed of becoming. Even the restrooms seemed
reversed. Didn't the ladies enter west from the lounge side with booths for
them rather than for the men? And, didn't the men have theirs on the east side?
I noticed a tiny room with metal walls holding a
big safe. Had it always been there? I had no way of knowing, but wondered if
part of the men's room had been taken for it later, convenient for the new
office.
Still trying to put the mezzanine back together
in my mind, I followed the group on up another short flight of stairs into the
balcony itself. This I recognized, pointing out the place I had sat at the iron
pipe rail, until I looked up above the aisle that separated the two divisions
of the balcony, the upper part reaching up as high as the little room that held
the projectors and big reels of film.
This isn't right, I thought, in spite of having
heard someone say they sat on risers and watched cowboy shows with accompanying
crowd "whoopin' and hollerin'." Never at THE Liberty, I was sure.
Never would it have allowed such behavior - my chin defiantly in the air at
this point.
Throughout OUR theatre had been fine seats with backs, the seats
folding up to allow room for patron passage.
But, there were the risers in mute testimony.
Then it had to have happened with the 1959 remodel, I asserted. Unable to look
out and down towards the screen since it was filled with what, I think, was the
ceiling of Domino's below, as far as I was concerned, the Liberty that I had
known had come to a bitter end. A crumpled tapestry lay in a heap on the floor,
but I couldn't reconstruct it to have hung before the screen on stage. It had
seemed so much more elegant or even in color, but cleaned and hung there with
lights on it, it would have looked so very much different that perhaps my mind
was playing tricks.
I had never been in the lower part of the theatre
and beside the stage before, but the cramped, debris-strewn area (watch out for
the low ceiling - it hurts) confirmed the fact that stage shows were possible
in the long gone-by. A trap-door beneath the stage gave testimony again to the
fact as well as dressing rooms and lavatory for performers. They must have
really wanted to perform. My Swiss grandparents were professional singers and
yodelers and performed in La Grande. It makes me wonder if this could have been
one of the stages that welcomed them in the 1920s.
It comes to mind that once I did hear the fine
organ, now absent, when a local person played it as a demonstration to its use
for silent film accompaniment. I wonder when that might have been.
In time, thorough research will uncover the true
version of the different remodel eras and a suitable one chosen for
restoration. I'll keep hoping it will be mine (1930-'40s). It was worth the
keeping even though my memories prove incorrect on many points. However it
turns out, I cherish the theatre tour and a hopeful return to Back to the
Future, thanks to Dale and the downtown restoration folks.
INCOMING THEATRE E-MAILS: Tom H. admits to
activating bean-shooters and rubber bands at the Granada; Mark R. paid 16-cents
for his admission ticket; and Homer W.H. has a sister who was a Liberty
cashier. Thanks, correspondents. Keep the history flowing. We need it.
QUESTION: Why do you spell it theatre rather than
theater?
ANSWER: Because that was the way I was taught and
through observation. Eugene has a better answer in the French influence, but my
dictionaries list both ways as correct. If I had written theater-goer, I might
well have reversed the re, but the French spelling seemed to be on the marquee
bearing the nameplate of most theatre buildings themselves.
Veteran newspaperwoman Dorothy Swart Fleshman is
a La Grande native. Her column runs every Friday.
.................
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH THOSE RESTORING THE OLD
LIBERTY THEATRE
By Dorothy Swart Fleshman, Observer, Feb 12, 2010
News of the Liberty Theatre renovation plans is
an exciting possibility to those of us who once attended movies there, at the
elite movie theatre in town.
That was where I watched all of the Shirley
Temple movies and marveled over the little girl of the golden curls and cute
dresses. I had all of her paper doll cut-outs until they ended up in our
furnace by an over-zealous father in clean-up mode.
"You can buy more," he encouraged as
the last of the Dionne quintuplets followed suit as part of the moving to
another house clean-up had progressed to almost all of the paper dolls standing
on a ledge around the back porch, my failing for not having put them away in
shoe boxes when play was last ended.
Unfortunately, neither Shirley, Jane Withers nor
the Dionnes ever again became my playmates until years later in reproduction
style for collection. Jane Withers, though, did catch the attention of my
sister and I as we became less taken with the sugary promotions and absorbed
the devilish imp in Jane as she attempted to undermine her opposite and became
our counterpart. She never won, but neither did we, so we became soul mates in
the struggle of growing up.
Young women dressed more carefully to attend the
Liberty Theatre, located in the current Domino's Pizza and next to City Hall, previously
the old post office, as versus the Granada and State theatres. The State
Theatre, just down the block east of the Liberty Theatre, must not have been
here for many years.
I remember being in it only once, in attendance
with my older cousin Edith. It is vivid in memory as we watched a man come in
just before the lights dimmed for the show. He was carrying a watermelon and
sat down near the front of the theatre, just under the screen.
We giggled over it and wondered if he ate
watermelon during the show or cradled it until time to go home. Whatever movie
was being shown, I remember not caring for it.
The Granada, of course, was our favorite stomping
ground, for that is where we spent every Saturday with Buck Jones, Tim McCoy,
Hopalong Cassidy (Bill Boyd), Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry, John Wayne, Tim
Holt, Buster Crabbe as spaceman Buck Rogers and Johnnie Weismueller as Tarzan.
Armed with a lard or syrup bucket of cookies,
candy, fruit or even sandwiches, we paid our nickel (under age 12) and spent
the afternoon in innocent pleasure. Frances Greulich was probably the manager
of the single floor theatre at the time with maybe Kenneth Grant as
projectionist and perhaps Raymond Montgomery was faithfully standing at the
front door ushering folks in and out. A cry-room for mothers with babies was
added later as I recall.
A bit of news, but not much, cartoons, an
on-going serial, coming events and the main feature kept time to our goodies
from the pail. Sometimes we sat through two showings.
Mostly young boys sought the front seats, doing a
bit of clowning and roughhousing up front until collared by adults. The high
school-age usherettes in outfits of authority, carrying a flashlight to guide
customers to seats while the film was in progress, were usually on the job in
the evening hours while we were our own watch-dogs during the matinee. Of
course, the adults kept some kind of order when it threatened to get out of
hand.
Our group, from four to six girl cousins, sought
the rear row right below the projector room. Here we could use the back wall if
we needed to fold up the seat and perch higher to view the film. Here, too, we
sought our goodies from deep in the pails with help from the light flickering
from above us.
Here, in black and white, we soaked up the love
of horses, cowboy music and space travel, the impossible to imagine. With Hoot
Gibson, whom my Dad had known, we saw things from the side of the Indians,
understood the white hats from the black hats, and worried about the cliff
hangers that were always continued until next week when no escape seemed
possible for our hero and heroines.
The Liberty Theatre, though, demanded adult
behavior. Perhaps it was the building itself that suggested it in its
mezzanines, beautiful draperies, amber light sconces, deep plush carpets and
beautiful chandelier as well as a slightly higher price for tickets.
Most young folk sought the balcony, but decorum
was expected and guarded by the usherettes and management. Our group liked to
get the front row balcony, for we could rest our feet on the ledge below the
iron pipe barrier above the heads of the main floor group. It was frowned upon
by management, but it went on in the darkness. Young suitors sought the highest
row just beneath the projector room and were under closer surveillance.
There was The Karmel Korn Shop just a few stores
east of the Liberty Theatre, between it and the State Theatre, where we could
buy karmel korn, popcorn, gum and candy, run by a pleasant older lady. We were
allowed to take our goodies into the theatre when none was sold there, but the
lard bucket lunches were an unspoken taboo.
Possibly things were more adult because we,
ourselves, were older. The movies were more adult in theme when we watched Fred
Astaire dance with Ginger Rogers, the Hardy series with Judy Garland and Mickey
Rooney and the more educational newscast heralded in by the repeat of the theme
song and the inevitable appearance of President Franklin D. Roosevelt riding in
a car and giving what appeared to be sage advice to the news media, all in
black and white.
I believe the theatre at that time was owned or
managed by a man named Meyers, for he had a high school-age daughter who gave
theatre parties for her friends. They were younger than I.
This was the theatre where George and I had one
of our first dates, but I have no idea what we saw. I was far too conscious of
the boy who sat next to me in the area where more adults were apt to sit,
wondering how I could be so lucky. George said that he had seen "Gone With
the Wind" in color at this theatre with his dad.
We both worked at Montgomery Wards with Mary and
Arnold, also employees at the building behind and across the alley from the
theatre, so we double-dated. Arnold had a car for our outings and that couple
eventually also married.
George, newly back from the military service
didn't yet own a car, so his father loaned George his car to take me on this
particular date to the Liberty Theatre in 1946. Now, some 63 years later, I
remember the moment my hand was held by a larger, stronger one, melding two
hearts into one for a lifetime.
It all happened at the Liberty Theatre.
May the Force be with those of you as you reach
for the goal of restoration.
Veteran newspaperwoman Dorothy Swart Fleshman is
a La Grande native. Her column runs every Friday.
..............
SHARING MEMORIES OF THE LIBERTY THEATER
By Dorothy Swart Fleshman, Observer, June 24,
2011
On April 23 the Liberty Theater restoration folks
held a public meeting in our library's Community Room to hear John Kvapil from
Bend relate details in the renovation of the Tower Theater there and to share
memories of our long-closed Liberty Theater in La Grande.
I had to leave the meeting before really getting
into the memories part, so after getting home I sent Dale Mammen an email with
things that had then come to mind.
Following is the letter I sent to Dale with a few
minor changes. His response was a request that it be published at a time the
memory search was more actively under way. Ginny Mammen's "Out and
About" column in the June 9 edition of The Observer has done just that, so
I contribute what I can in hopes that others will do likewise.
Hi Dale,
I enjoyed your Liberty Theater meeting and was
sorry to have to leave before it was over. That was the part I really wanted to
hear although I am very appreciative of our visitor's contribution to our
efforts in telling us about the successful Tower Theater renovation in Bend.
Sorry I didn't have much to offer but I wasn't prepared with anything of
consequence in the way of memory.
My opinion is that memory is unreliable for a
factual account of anything from the past. Each one remembers it differently
and some of it is remembered grossly inaccurately.
Sometimes visions link
themselves to other events or time schedules and facts prove them wrong every
time.
Nonetheless, I could have mentioned walking down
Adams Avenue from the then post office building (now city hall), being aware of
the Westside wall that housed the Liberty Theater, and seeing a big portion of
its front wall covered with advertisements. It seems like it was painted on the
wall and later was of billboard type. An iron drop-down fire escape hung above
it from the second floor. It is hazy but something was on that wall. There was
a sidewalk along that wall that led clear back to the alley and the Montgomery
Ward retail store. I walked it many a time.
The ticket cage, as one faced the theater
building from the front, stood alone with "Now Showing" pictures of
the movie boxed on short walls either side behind glass. You purchased your
ticket and moved to the right and to the recessed back of the opening where you
would enter the right-hand door, usually opened by a uniformed or suited
person, to let you enter and take your ticket. To the left was another recessed
double door on the opposite side of the ticket cage to let the people out after
the show.
Inside the building, then, seemed carpeted
everywhere with a soft maroon or dark-blue feeling that made you want to be
quiet, voices were muffled as people decided whether to sit downstairs or up in
the balcony. Those going into the theater proper early could choose where to
sit in comfortable rows of seats without the aid of an usher, for the lights
were up so that you could see. It was in the evening usually when the ushers in
outfits and with flashlights led the way.
The plush loges were roped off near the back and
cost a bit more. It was in the evening usually when the usherettes in, maybe
satin, outfits and with flashlights led the way. They were permitted to remove
the rope to let the ticket-holder in and then fastened it again.
Before the show began and the lights were up, you
visited with your neighbors rather quietly because the interior was of such
beauty that it seemed the thing to do. Soft music was quieting in itself. It
was nothing like the plain atmosphere of the Granada or State theaters where
kids ran around noisily and finally settled mostly in the front row seats. The
Liberty was a place for grown-up behavior and you felt it rather than being
instructed to it.
The balcony was a little less regimented but still
demanded its own better actions of the patrons.
There was always a little awe in the air when the
lights from the big chandelier hanging over the lower floor from the ceiling
began to dim and the side lights gave off enough soft glow that they weren't
disturbing to viewing the film but didn't leave you in deep darkness either. It
seems like it always started with the news while people settled in their seats,
all eyes directed to the big screen as images and sound appeared as the rich
velvety curtain was drawn open across the stage. The light from the projection
room came on and the big wheel of film turned to bring us images of world news,
coming attractions, sometimes a comedy and then the main feature, filling our
lives with another time and place where we lived the lives of those on the
screen.
These films were a grade above the other two
theaters; maybe that's why it cost us a bit more to get in and enjoy the finery
it offered along with the movies. Shirley Temple, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney,
Clark Gable, James Stewart, Bing Crosby - you know, all the old favorites that
were a step above Westerns, comedians, etc.
I believe "Gone With the Wind" was
shown there.
The theater had a nice mezzanine up a carpeted
stairway with a wrought iron railing to the second floor back behind the
balcony seating. It contained sofas and upholstered chairs with mirrors on the
wall.
Lace-curtained and draped windows stretched
across the room and the lights from the marquee could be seen flashing off and
on through the windows. At each side of the room where folks met to use the
rest rooms, the ladies moved off to the left where a row of toilets were
individually hidden behind doors and sinks below mirrors for a quick hair and
lipstick checkup were at the ready for hand washing.
It seems that the men's room was off to the
right. I have no knowledge of its interior but was of the impression that it
was totally utilitarian with none of the necessities desired by the women. When
I was in the balcony more recently, I was of the opinion that part of the room
had been rebuilt to accommodate a place for a big safe. I cannot speak with any
authority of this, but it may or may not have been there when I was a child.
As I say, memory can play tricks. If the plans
can be found, I may be totally incorrect as to the location of these two rest
rooms, but this is the way they have formed in my mind.
I just remember the Liberty theater as a place
thick in deep carpets and covered walls to deaden the sounds of people. A place
for you to act grown-up or go to one of the other theaters.
I have no memory at all of the closing of the
theater because George and I moved away for the better part of 15 years and
lots of happenings in our home town have no memory with me except for after the
fact. Folks say that they remember sitting on wooden benches to watch cowboy
shows and hoop and holler, but that seems totally foreign and inappropriate to
what the Liberty stood for in my generation. Upholstered and cushioned chairs
with fold-up seats were the norm even in the balcony. I would like to remember
it that way.
Thanks for your efforts, Dale and Ginny and
committees. I hope you are successful and that La Grande gains from its
presence.
Dorothy/Dory Swart Fleshman, La Grande
Veteran newspaperwoman Dorothy Swart Fleshman is
a La Grande native. Her column runs every Friday.
